nominaalia

Nominaalia is a term used in some theoretical discussions of linguistics to designate a subcategory of nominals that function primarily as labels for named entities. The central idea is that these items—such as toponyms, anthroponyms, corporate or brand names, and other named entities—exhibit referential behavior that differs from common nouns in discourse. They tend to identify a unique referent rather than a class of referents.

Etymology and scope: The word is formed from Latin roots related to name (nomen) and a suffix that signals a collection or class (al-). Its application in linguistics is relatively recent and not universally standardized, with varying proposals about whether nominaalia constitute a distinct lexical category.

Characteristics: Nominaalia items are typically proper nouns and are often capitalized in many languages. They can serve as stable referential labels in clauses, sometimes functioning without additional descriptive content. In some languages they may be invariant in form, while others allow language-specific inflection or clitics attached to the noun phrase. They may also be used metonymically or performative in discourse.

Examples: Paris, Google, Nike, The White House. In sentences like “Paris attracts tourists” or “Google announced a new product,” the nominaalia act as labels for specific entities—city and corporation—rather than as general class descriptors.

Variation and reception: Not all linguists endorse a separate category for such items; many treat proper nouns as a subclass of nouns or as a special NP type. Nominaalia remains a topic of theoretical discussion and is not a universally adopted term.

See also: Onomastics, Proper noun, Noun phrase, Lexical category, Nominal.

References: For background on named entities and naming conventions, see onomastics and the study of proper nouns in linguistics.